Sony said its PlayStation 4 will deliver game streaming to PCs and Macs, shortly after a third-party app promised to offer similar functionality.

The addition of the functionality will also take the PS4 closer to rival Xbox, which launched the streaming of Xbox One games to Windows 10 PCs and tablets on the home network. The feature is seen by many gamers as extending their opportunity to stream games to a variety of devices, and not be tethered to their TV sets.

"Some people asked if we plan to provide Remote Play function to PC, and yes, we are indeed working on an official application for PC/Mac. :D," Shuhei Yoshida, president of Worldwide Studios at Sony Computer Entertainment, wrote in a tweet.

The executive's tweet comes shortly after a developer, who goes by the name "Twisted," released the "alpha" version of an unofficial application for streaming PS4 games to PCs and was mulling charging US$10 for the app to devote full-time work on the project.

PS4 Remote Play already allows streaming to Xperia phones and tablets so that there are "no more fights" over who gets to use the TV set. The facility is available on PS Vita and smartphones and tablets in the Xperia Z-series from Z2 and onwards, the company said on its website.

Sony did not specify a date when the new feature would be available. The company said this week that it has cumulatively sold more than 30.2 million units of the PS4 worldwide as of Nov. 22. The gaming console was launched two years ago. The PS4 system is currently available in 124 countries and regions.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for the IDG News Service.